Either nobody else has this issue, or I cant figure out the correct search terms to use.

I am running beta 410 (although it happens with any beta build I have tried) on windows 7 ultimate. I have used DVDFab to rip the main movie portion of my DVDs to my hard drive. Each movie is in its own folder. Inside said folder is the audio_ts and video_ts folders. Inside the video_ts folder are the expected files (video_ts.ifo/.bup, vts_01_0.ifo/.bup, vts_01_*.VOB)

The issue is that when I navigate into the main folders via my WD TV Live the video_ts folder is handled in different ways by PMS. Sometimes the video_ts folder is simply a folder that I can navigate into and see the *.VOB files. I can select these files and the playback begins. Other times, the video_ts folder shows up as [DVDISO]VIDEO_TS{name of parent folder} In this case, PMS only gives me the option of using Mencoder on the folder.

Does anyone else see this behavior or am I the “special” one?

Does anyone know why PMS chooses to sometimes show the folder as simply a folder and other times to show it as it shows .iso files?

I have figured out the answer and the possible reasoning behind it. Nobody has responded so I will put out my solution and perhaps someone will vouch for it.

If the folder is named video_ts, then PMS is making it appear as a dvdiso in order to be able to play the entire movie through without have to manually press play to see the next VOB. This is in answer to many people who were frustrated that they could not play an entire DVD back but instead had to manually pick each .VOB to play.

If you change the name of the folder to something besides VIDEO_TS, viola, you can navigate into the folder and select the .VOB you wish to view. As mentioned, the issue with this is that after _1.VOB has played, you have to select _2.VOB and so on.

So, for those people searching for why this behavior occurs in the future, this is the reasoning why.

I am not sure about all the hardware requirements for the transcoding, but there are renderers out there that can natively handle .VOB (like my WD TV LIVE). It seemed to me to be a waste to transcode something that can natively be played (just my 2 cents).

To play all vobs as one file without interuption transcoding was used. From latest beta versions you can enable feature not to transcode DVD but continuous play will still work. About VIDEO_TS syntax, it is by design. PMS detects DVD structure via this folder naming(DVD standards) or by ISO/IMG/BIN/CUE extensions(not sure if all of them, but surely ISO is supported)